In September this year I flew to Seattle and then drove a rental car to the Olympic Peninsula to join up with my husband Phil and his team of four other long distance backpackers. My mission was to pick up a last cache of food dropped by Phil at my old friend’s house in Sequim, … More The Way We Live: the Friendship Tour
Today’s post is by guest blogger and friend Linda Feltes. Linda Feltes is a team leader with Xperitas (formerly Global citizens Network) She has ten years experience co-leading groups on cultural immersion travel trips in the US and abroad, in addition to her fulltime job with the State of Minnesota. I learn something new every time I leave … More Why Travel Outside the US (If you are an American)
The first time my husband and I went to Vietnam, he found a travel agent working through an agency near Hanoi run by Vietnamese nationals. Unlike many low resource countries, Vietnam, having fought many wars against colonialists and won, has developed a tourism industry that is run by and employs nationals. Our guide Thanh was … More Dalat, Vietnam: The Niagara Falls of Vietnam, and a breath of fresh air for tourists
New Zealand is a popular destination on many peoples’ bucket lists, and no area as sought-after as the Milford Sound Track. It is a challenging trail that skirts along the top of the heights surrounding the Sound, with splendid views throughout. Since I am not the kind of traveler who plans a year in advance … More Tramping New Zealand Sound country
Factory Girl: Prologue gives a rundown on this novel social/business experiment by William Norris, founder of Control Data Corporation. If you haven’t read it, the Magnetic Peripherals Inner City computer manufacturing plant brought together folks from various backgrounds with spotty work and education histories. Control Data’s goal was to make money by using these folks to … More Factory Girl, Chapter 2: the Inner City plant
One Saturday in August 2007, while in Phnom Penh once again for work, I decided to go to the Russian market, which was the best covered market for tourist shopping according to the guides. It was pretty far away from my hotel, so I planned to take a moto down there in the morning. Just … More Spirits, Strange Ancient Men, and Widows
I may have been a straight A student, but I can’t hold onto a purse or passport to save my life. “Easily distracted”, I say. No matter, it seems that either through my good karma, a guardian angel, or the kindness of strangers, I have sailed through one potential catastrophe after another while traveling abroad. … More A Ditz in a Foreign Land
Ed note: When we last left my sister, she was waiting 3 days in Accra for her passport to be returned, allowing her to proceed to the town where the drumming school is located. We will fast forward to the trip to Kopeyia. “But wait! What about the chicken?” you say. OK, here’s the chicken story. … More Lily goes to Ghana: part 2
Welcome our guest blogger this week, my sister Lily White. As she describes herself in a published short story-The Upholsterer’s Wife: “Lily White is a saxophone player and writer living in Brooklyn, New York. Born and raised in rural Illinois, she now divides her time between performing, playing with her daughter, and trying to find a legal … More Lily goes to Ghana: part 1 of a 2 part series
In 1980 I put in a transfer request to move from the Arden Hills Control Data Corporation plant in the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities to the Normandale Inner City plant (NIC), in downtown Minneapolis. (For more context, see my first post: Factory Girl: Prologue). My one year at Arden Hills was enough for me. … More Factory Girl, Chapter 1: Where push comes to shove
Other states, other lives, other souls 